Friday, October 20, 2017

HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENERAL

On the matter of human rights in general terms, their
significance, relevance and exercise after their individual specification as
generally known and done – such as the Right
to Life, Right to work, Right to Education, Right to Religious Freedom and
other basic legitimate rightful human claims – it might be good to have a look
at them in a more generic and practical way for their better understanding and
appreciation, more salutary perception and observance. So it is that after the specification of
Human Rights one by one with their respective notions and connotations, it is
also relevant and proper to have even but a short look at them in general terms
or in a generic way. And it is in this
spirit and with that purpose that the following short simple pointers are
hereunder made:

First: When
taken as a noun, the word “right” means
a just claim, a reasonable demand, a legal title. When understood as an adjective, what is
right means something just, proper, true.
It is clear that the latter (adjectives) is simply by way of making
conclusions from the former (noun) akin to the distinction between what is
descriptive and substantive.

Human Rights
cannot but be basically and ultimately
premised on human nature and dignity.
The truth is that the Right to Life/Right to Live of every human
individual – the yet unborn included – is the fundamental basis and origin as well
as the anchorage of all other Human Rights.

Second: The
fact that they are “basic” or
fundamental human rights as above said, means that there are also supplementary
human rights. These are either
derivatives, consequences, or complements of the former as readily presumed and
thus duly provided and even accordingly specified not only by the 1948 UN
Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also as provided by the 1986
Constitution of the Philippines.

Human Rights as already well-known though
not necessarily observed, are inherent to every human person the world over,
irrespective of race, color and creed.
It is not only good to know but also practical to remember that rightful
potentates, be this by virtue of royalty or on account of politics, do have a
good number of rights. These however are
not human rights proper since they are but appended to someone as on account of
position or office.

Third: The
reality, specification and listing of human rights per se do not merely come
from the freewill of people, neither
simply from the government nor from the State.
Otherwise, there would be a confusion, dilution and/or downright
fabrication of human rights and
consequent obligations. The objective
truth is that human rights are conclusions derived from human dignity which in
turn is ultimately founded on Divinity as the Creator of humanity.

Human Rights do
not belong to human persons simply on account of their mention, enumeration and
observance by the State or the government.
Human Persons have human rights by virtue of their sublime nature and
consequent intrinsic dignity. It is this
certain and certified by nature and by law.
Dangerous are those who think/believe otherwise.

Oscar Cruz

About The Blogger

Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz, D.D. is the Archbishop-Emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan. He is currently the Judicial Vicar of the National Tribunal of Appeals. He is a prolific writer, having published several dozen books mostly on judicial and moral matters. His most recent book is about the Social Doctrines of the Church. He also has a blog where he posts regularly. He is an avid coin collector and dabbles in woodworking art.